This invention relates generally to systems for vehicle toll collection, and, more particularly, relates to apparatus and methods for automatic, non-contact, high-speed collection of vehicular tolls.
An increasing number of vehicles are travelling over progressively more congested highways. The collection of tolls by conventional means has had a negative effect upon highway throughput and safety. Congestion and long backups on toll plazas are becoming more common. Such conditions involve a significant economic cost, through lost time, and reduced productivity. Moreover, serious accidents at toll plazas, caused by operator or mechanical failure, have also increased in frequency.
Certain toll authorities have attempted to respond to these problems by providing coin-operated toll collection devices, or by instituting a toll-plate system in which toll-takers visually inspect each incoming vehicle for an appropriate toll plate or sticker. Coin-operated toll collection systems, however, do little to increase throughput, and are susceptible to fraud, through the use of counterfeit coins. Toll-plate systems suffer the same deficiencies, requiring each vehicle to slow sharply while entering the visual inspection area; these systems also rely heavily on toll-taker attentiveness.
Additionally, a number of systems have been proposed for utilizing radio frequency identification (RFID) techniques for toll collection. Under these systems, drivers acquire a "tag" or card that acts as a reflective transmitter or discrete transmitter to identify the vehicle by serial number as it passes through a toll booth. This technique is also referred to as Automatic Vehicle Identification (AVI).
This system also suffers from a number of deficiencies. In particular, because the RFID tag lacks a machine-intelligent processor for manipulation and storage of accounts, toll authorities must maintain individual toll accounts for all users of the system. This becomes especially burdensome in urban areas or regions of high toll traffic volume. Toll agencies would need to manage hundreds of thousands of individual accounts, a burden that is created by operation of the AVI system.
Additionally, because the RFID tags lack a processor or user interface, vehicle operators cannot readily ascertain account balances, and have no warning as to limited or exhausted credit. This creates both confusion, and potential safety hazards, as drivers cross over to conventional toll collection lanes with little warning.
Further, in the absence of a single national toll agency, each participating driver would need to have multiple cards attached to the vehicle, each corresponding to a separate toll authority account.
The RFID system also raises user-privacy issues by requiring the generation and storage of detailed vehicle-specific travel records.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide improved toll collection methods and apparatus that significantly increase the traffic capacity of roadways.
Another object of the invention is to provide toll collection methods and apparatus that increase the rate of toll collection while enhancing highway safety.
A further object of the invention is to provide such methods and apparatus that are convenient to use and support toll collection by a plurality of toll authorities.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide toll collection systems that reduce administrative burdens, facilitate the generation of transaction reports for users and toll authorities, and preserve the privacy of users.
It is a further object of the invention to provide toll collection systems that are reliable and resistant to attempts at fraud or toll evasion, and which are readily integrated into existing toll management systems.
Other general and specific objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.